RI S2591

Housing providers must make a conditional offer before inquiring about an applicant's criminal record, and may only consider convictions from the past 10 years for serious offenses including murder, manslaughter, arson, kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, child molestation, burglary, human trafficking, and meth production on residential premises.

Landlords cannot consider arrests without convictions, expunged records, pardoned convictions, vacated convictions, juvenile adjudications, or sealed records when evaluating applicants.

Withdrawal of a conditional offer based on criminal history requires a "substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory interest" and must consider factors including offense severity, applicant's age at the time, time elapsed, rehabilitation evidence, and potential safety impact.

Housing advertisements cannot state that applicants with criminal records will not be considered, and landlords are prohibited from requiring drug or alcohol testing of applicants except where federally mandated.

Violations result in civil penalties of $1,000 for the first offense, $5,000 for the second, and $10,000 for subsequent violations, with enforcement through the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights.